davis



J. DAVIS.

SHIP LOCAIING AND RAISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FlLED SEPT. I8. 1918.

' 1,325,4;9'7. Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

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J. DAVIS.

SHIP LOCATING AND RAISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18' I918.

J. DAVIS.

SHIP LOCATING AND RAISING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. I918- Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I. DAVIS.

SHIP LOCATING AND RAISING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, 1919.

1,325,497. Patented Dec. 16,1919.

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JAMES DAVIS, OF GANANOQUE, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SHIP LOCATING AND BAI$ING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

Application filed September 18, 1918. Serial No. 254,696.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES DAVIS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Gananoque, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ship Locating and Raising Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for locating and raising sunken ships, the object being to combine with a device of this charatter, means whereby passengers from the vessel may be prevented from drowning and distress signals displayed and sent out so that passing vessels may be informed.

To this end the invention includes a raft carrying a mast from which distress signals are displayed and from which wireless messages may be sent, when the raft is floated from the deck of the vessel, so that the operator may inform vessels within the zone of the wireless of the position or location of the raft.

The invention also includes novel means for connecting the raft to the vessel, permitting it to remain on the surface of the water as the vessel sinks, yet maintaining connection with the said vessel, so that hoisting cables may be substituted for the connection and the vessel raised, without the necessity of divers descending beneath the water.

The invention further includes the following novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure -1 is a side elevation of a vessel equipped with the improved raft;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direct-ion of the arrow;

Fig. e is a similar view on the line 14 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of one of the air tight side members of the raft;

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the cable reels of the raft;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 77 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the deck pulley;

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the position of the raft above a sunken vessel;

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the position of the wrecking ships and their connection with the sunken vessel; and

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the operation of the gravity controlled valve.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the vessel to which the raft is applied, is indicated at 15, the deck being shown at 16. v

The improved raft which rests upon the deck of the vessel may be of various sizes, the size being governed by the size of the vessel. This raft includes side rails 17, which are adapted to extend along each side of the vessel throughout a greater portion of its length and to be placed within the side rails of the vessel. The rails 17 are connected together by end rails 18, which are positioned adjacent the bow and stern, while intermediate rails 19 also connect the rails 17. The rails 17, 18 and 19 may be of varlous construction governed by the size of the raft, but for large vessels it is preferred to construct these rails of air tight hollow metal cylinders, so as to insure the buoyancy and strength of the rail.

Thefintermediate rails 19. form a support for a platform 20, upon which is secured a mast 21 supporting a wireless apparatus including an operators cage 22. The mast also supports signals in the form of lamps 23 and a distress flag2 l. The lamps 23 may be of variouscolors, such as red and green and are preferably in the form of electric lights operated by current supplied from a storage battery contained within the battery box 25 secured upon the raft. v The lamps 23 are normally extinguished, but are designed to be automatically lighted as the raft leaves the deck of the vessel as the latter is sinking. This is accomplished by means of a gravity switch 26 and a rod 27. One end of this rod is connected to the switch 26 and the opposite end rests upon the deck of the vessel, so that the switch is held in open position. As the raft leaves the deck, the weight of the rod closes the switch so as to complete the circuit of the lights. Current for the wireless apparatus is also furnished from the storage battery in the box 25, so that after the raft is floated distress messages may be sent out to be picked pp by vessels within the zone of the wireess.

As previously stated one of the objects of the invention is to provide means for 10- cating and raising a sunken vessel and to this end the side rails 17 of the raft have secured thereto drums 28. These drums revolve in bearings 29 formed in a housing 30 secured along the sides of the rails 17. The drums 28 are connected by cables 30 which pass under sheaves or pulleys 31 secured to the vessel. The number of these pulleys and cables is governed according to the size of the vessel and raft. In addition to providing means for connecting the raft to the vessel, the pulleys ar also designed to receive hoisting cables, by means of which the vessel may be raised to the surface of the water after it has sunk. To provide for proper connection so as to support the weight of the vessel, the pulleys 31 are mounted in bearings 32 carried by a metal frame 33. This frame rests upon the deck of the vessel and is secured by means of rods 34 to the vessels keel.

Secured to each end of the raft are reels 35, upon which are wound graduated steel ribbons 36, having one end permanently connected to the deck of the vessel as shown at 37. The graduations of these ribbons represent units of measurement, by means of which the depth to which the vessel has sunk may be determined. This is especially useful in salvaging the vessel, enabling the Wrecking crew to readily determine the length of cable necessary to reach the vessel. It also enables the vessel to be maintained in a substantially horizontal position when being raised.

In the use of the invention, as the raft floats from the deck of the vessel as the latter is sinking, the cables 30 unwind until the vessel has reached its lowermost position, whereupon the raft will be maintained above the vessel as shown in Fig. 9. As the raft leaves the deck, the switch 26 is automatically operated to light the lamps 23,

- which will remain lighted through the action of the batteries within the box 25, until the said batteries are exhausted. In the mean tim the operator within the cage 22 may be sending messages to be picked up by other vessels.

In order to raise the sunken vessel, a hoistcable is substituted for the cable 30, being passed downward and beneaththe pulley 31 through connection with said cable 30. WVrecking ships are then positioned above and to each side of the sunken vessel, which is then hoisted to the surface of the water. The relative position of the wreck ing ships and sunken vessel is shown in Fig. 10.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, each of the side rails 17 of the raft is provided with a longitudinally extending bar 38, which is supported in brackets 39 carried by the side rails. This bar 38 has connected thereto a plurality of cables a0, permitting passengersto support themselves thereby. Life boats from the vessel may also be moored to these lines, so that they will not become seoarated and the entire ships company and crew may remain together.

It is believed that from the description and the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be apparent. The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is reserved to make such changes as will properly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class described, a raft adapted to be placed upon the deck of a vessel, a signaling device carried by said raft, means whereby said signaling device will be auton'iatically operated when the raft leaves the deck, means for maintaining connection between the raft and vessel and means in cluding a graduated tape connecting each end of the raft with the bow and stern of the vessel for determining the depth of the latter.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

J AlVIES DAVIS. 

